Last Jedi director thinks iPhone 11 Pro is coolest thing since lightsabers

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Rian Johnson video of Paris with iPhone 11 Pro
A 120-degree view of Paris.
Screenshot: Rian Johnson/Vimeo

Rian Johnson, director of 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, released a new film today shot on the iPhone 11 Pro.

OK, it was a just little montage of pretty scenes around Paris he posted on Vimeo. Apple loaned Johnson a new iPhone to play with prior to today’s public rollout.

Johnson was enthusiastic about the pro handset’s performance and shared the 1:48 clip with his Twitter followers today.

“Apple let me mess around with their new iPhone Pro and I cut together this little thing,” Johnson wrote on Twitter. “Pretty shots of Paris ftw. I usually find phone camera upgrades to be baby steps and not very exciting, but this wide-angle lens is a real game-changer.”

Johnson, whose credits include Looper and this fall’s crime-comedy Knives Out, is a pro, even with casual vacation video. His short film is beautifully scored and the ultra-wide lens helped him express his love in a cinematic valentine to Paris.

The iPhone has already knocked down cost barriers for filmmakers. Most have to scrape and beg for money to rent cameras and lenses. A number of films have gained notoriety for being shot on iPhone. Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh has said the iPhone is the future of filmmaking.

The iPhone 11 Pro may be a step closer, especially now that filmmakers can record a scene simultaneously with all three cameras on the bump.

Johnson did not say whether he was will use the iPhone on his next feature film.

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